Switching device.



PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

E. PIGEHRKENS.

SWITCHING 1) APPLIOATION FILED OGT.22,1904.

EVIGE.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT cl rion.

EDWARD F. GEHRKENS, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SWITCHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed April 2, 190?.

Application filed October 22,1904. Serial No. 229,587.

To a whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that l, EDWARD F. GEnnKENs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Switching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

In alternating-current systems it is often necessary to vary the voltage supplied to the distributing-mains through a wi( e range, and it is customary to produce this effect by providing a transfiirmer having a plurality of taps and a movable contact device, suchasa dial-switch blade connected to one side of the distributing-cireuit and movable from one tap to another to vary the number of effective turns of the transformer. As it is often undesirable to open. the distributing-circuit whilechanging from one tap-to thenext it is customary to make the dial-blade wide enough to bridgethe space between two taps, and thus cll'ect the change from one tap to the next without actually opening the distributing-circuit. This arrangement has the disadvantage, however, of momentarily short-circuiting the transformer-turns between the two taps, and, furthermore, is likely to produce excessive sparking at the dial-contacts.

This invention involves an improved means for regulating the pressure of an alter listing-current circuit by varying the number of effective turns of a transformer without interrupting the line-eurrent and without shortcircuiting the transformer-windings. The device comprises two separate dial-switches having contactblades connected to ether through a reactive coil the center of w iich is connected to one side of the hub. In circuit with each dial 'or contact blade is an automatic circuit-breakerwhich opens the circuit before the blade leaves a dia -con'tact,' so that heavy current is never opened on the dial.

The dial blades operate successively, one' blade always making contact with-a transformer-ta and carrying all the load until the other bla c has reached the next tap. The current inthe distributing-main is therefore never broken and remains practically undisturbed except for the change in pressure effected by the change-from tap to tap.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical representation of the electrical features of my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a quick-break or auxiliary switch. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the two dial-switches. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the main switch. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the auxiliary switch.

In Fig. 1 the transformer-coil 1 is supplied by power from any suitable source, Hit the coil 2 supplies current to the distributinginains 3 and 3. "A plurality of taps 4 for the transformer-coil .2 are connected the dial-contacts 5 5 5 &c., of the main dialswitch (shown in Fig. 4-) and also to the lialcontacts 6 6 6 of the auxiliary dial-switch, (shownin Figs. 2 and 5,) each transforuler-ta i being connected to one contact of each diafswitch. A dial-blade 7 is adapted to mo e over the dial-contacts 5; 5, and 5 and an auxiliary dial-blade 8 is adapted to move over the dial-contacts 6, 6, and 6 The conductors leading from the dial-' blades 7 and 8 are connected to the distributing-main 3 through the reactance-coil 9 and are provided, respectively, with automatic (:i rcuit-breakers 10 and 11.

Contact-blade 7 is provided at its lower end. with a conducting-arm 12, insulated from the other parts of dial-blade 7 and adapted to make electrical contact between a conductor 13 and the contact-points 14,- 14, and 1.4. These latter contact-points are so arranged that whenever the dial-blade 7 moves from one tap to the next the circuit breaker '10 will open before the blade leaves one dial-contact and will remain open until the dial-blade establishes a good contact with the next tap.

The energizin eoil 15 of circuit-breaker 10 is connected directly across the distributing-mains 3 and 3, except for the gap between the conductor' 13 and the contactpoints 14, 14, and 14 Assuming that it is necessary to change from tap 4 to tap 4, the operation of the switches is as follows; The dial-blade 7 is moved gradually to the ri ht until it is partially out of contact with (hal '12 of the blade completes the circuit through a the energizing-coil 15 and opens the circuitbreaker 10, thus allowing the entire line-curcontact 5, in which condition the lower part rent to be carried by the other dialbladc 8. l

The circuit-breaker coil 15 remains energized until the blade 7 is in contact with the dialcontact 5 for a certain portion of its width, whereupon the circuit between the contactpoint 14 andthe conductor 13 is broken, and. the circuit-breaker 1O closes the circuitbe rent having a plurality of tape, of a main contact-blade in circuit with one of said taps,

means for moving said blade from tap to tap,

an auxiliary contact-blade connected through an impedance to said main contactblade,

and means for imparting to said auxiliary blade an intermittent motion with respect to said main contact-blade.

5. 1n an electrical system, the combination to of a transformer having a plurality of taps, a

distributing-main, a contact-blade connecting said distributing-main to one of'said taps, an auxiliary blade, a reactance device connected between said blades, means for movi5-ing said first-named blade from tap to tap,

and an automatic circuit-breaker for interrupting the current through said first-named blade during its movement from tap to tap.

6. The combination with a transformer having a plurality of taps, of a main contactblade in circuit with one of said taps, means "for moving said blade to a second tap, means for opening the circuit through said blade before it leaves said first-named tap, means for closing; said circuit when said blade is in contact with said second-named tap, an auxiliary contact-blade, and means for imp artingi to said auxiliary blade an intermittent motion with. respect to said main contact-blade.

7. The combination with a source of current having a plurality of taps, of a main con tact-blade in circuit with one of said taps,

means for moving said blade'from tap to tap, V

an auxiliary contact-blade means for impart- 5 ing to said auxiliary blade an intermittent motion vvith respect to said main contactblade, a reactance device connected between said blades and a distributing-circuit connected to said reactance device, and to said i source of current. BV The combination with a transformer l having a plurality of taps, of a main contacti blade in circuit with one of said taps,- means l for moving said blade from tap to tap, an l auxiliary contact-blade, means ior' imparting to said auxiliary blade an intermittent mo tion with respect to said main contact-blade, a reactance device connected between said contact-blades, and automatic means for ali ternately disconnecting said contact-blades 1 from said reactance device during said movement from tap to tap.

\ 9. The combination with distributingmains of a transformer having a plurality of taps, a main contact-blade in circuit with one of'said mains, an auxiliary contactblade in circuit with said main, means for v. autpmatic means for alternately disconnecting saidcontact-blades from said main during said movement from tap to tap.

10. The combination with a transformer moving said blades from tap to tap, and

having a plurality of taps, of a main contact i i HELEN ()R-FORD. 

